Expansible bracelet with recessed connecting links



'July 1957 c. H. DOLANSKY 2,799,135

EXPANSIBLE BRACELET WITH RECESSED CONNECTING LINKS Filed Jan. 18, 1956II a l INVENTOR a 171F455 MaaM/vw,

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United States Patent-O v I I 2,799,135 .rx xssmimmenmrwrm R ECESS EDI 1CONNECTING LINKS Charles H. Dolansky, Montreal, Canada ApplicationJanuary 18, 1956, Serial No. 559,843

3 Claims. (CI. 59-79) The invention relates to expansible bracelets, andmore particularly to those of the type intended to be used as watchbracelets.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a bracelet of simpleand inexpensive construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bracelet having smoothedges.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bracelet having asubstantially continuous front face, but having the elements of the rearface slightly spaced apart when in the retracted condition, so that thehairs on the wearers wrist will not be caught in the bracelet whichcauses substantial discomfort to many users of such bracelets.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description, especially when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in top plan view a part of a bracelet embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a front view on a smaller scale;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the bracelet inretracted condition;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the bracelet in expanded condition;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through one of the front units on the line 5-5of Fig. 7;

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the central part of one of the front units; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 7-7 of Fig. l.

The bracelet is formed of two rows of units, staggered with respect toeach other, the front units 2 and the rear units 4, the rear units beingintended to lie against the skin. Each unit includes a sheet metal shell6 of rectangular cross-section and having open ends, these shells beingalike in both rows.

Each shell of one row is connected to two shells of the other row byconnecting members formed of strip metal. The connecting members havelegs 8, 10 extending into the open ends of shells of the front and rearrows respectively and a connecting part having portions 12, 14 ofdifferent heights, the portion 12 of lower height being on the same sideas leg 8 which extends into the open end of the front shell.

Within each shell are bowed leaf springs each having a central portion16 which rests against the inner wall of the shell and end portions 18which rest against the legs 8, 10, pressing them against the outer shellwalls.

The front shells are provided with cover plates, which may be suitablyornamented if desired. These plates each include a portion 20 overlyingthe outer wall of front shell 6, and extensions 22 at each end which arebent over, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, to overlie portions 12 of theconnecting members. Along the sides of the plates are flanges 24 whichare bent around the side walls of front shells 6 so as to lie betweensuccessive shells. The plates are secured to the shells in any suitablefashion, for example by tabs 26 (Figs. 5 and 6) which are bent into aslot 28 provided in the inner wall of the front shell 6.

The material of the plate is of the same thickness as the difference inheight between portions 12 and 14 so that, as seen in Fig. 7, the edgeof the bracelet presents a substantially smooth surface. Bent parts 22serve to hold the connecting members in the shells, and thus prevent thebracelet from coming apart.

When the parts are moved from the retracted position of Fig. 3 to theexpanded position of Fig. 4, legs 8, 10 are twisted and bend the leafsprings, which resiliently resist this movement and thus restore thebracelet to retracted position when the pull on it is released.

The flanges 24 cause the shells of the front row to be spaced apart bytwice the flange thickness. Thus a similar space 30 is left between theunits of the rear row even when the bracelet is contracted. By reason ofthis space, the hairs on the wearers wrist will not be caught betweenthese rear units.

While I have described herein one embodiment of my invention, I wish itto be understood that I do not intend to limit-myself thereby exceptwithin the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. An expansible bracelet comprising two parallel rows of elongatedshells extending parallel to one another and open at their ends, thelongitudinal axes of the shells being located in parallel planes andbeing perpendicular to the axis of the row, the shells in one row beingstaggered with respect to the shells in the other row, and meansconnecting each shell of one row to two shells of the other row, eachsuch connecting means comprising at each end of the shells membershaving legs and a cross piece, one leg of each connecting memberextending into an open end of a shell in one row and the other legextending into an open end of a shell in the other row, spring means ineach shell resisting turning of the legs, said members being of equalcross-section and bent substantially centrally of the cross piece toprovide oifset portions of different height, and a part. carried by eachshell of that row on the side on which the portion of the cross piece oflower height is arranged extending beyond the end of the shell and bentover to overlie the portion of less height and having the outer face ofthe bent over portion substantially flush with the portion of greaterheight.

2. A bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said members are formed offlat spring metal.

3. An expansible bracelet comprising inner and outer parallel rows ofelongated shells extending parallel to one another and open at theirends, the longitudinal axes of the shells being located in parallelplanes and being perpendicular to the axis of the row, the shells in onerow being staggered with respect to the shells in the other row, andmeans connecting each shell of one row to two shells of the other row,each such connecting means comprising at each end of the shells membershaving legs and a cross piece, one leg of each connecting memberextending into an open end of a shell in one row and the other legextending into an-open end of a shell in the other row, spring means ineach shell resisting turning of the legs, said members being of equalcross-section and bent substantially centrally of the cross piece toprovide offset portions of different height, the part of less heightbeing adjacent the shell of the outer row, and a part carried by eachshell of the outer row extending beyond the end of the shell and bentover to overlie the portion of less height and having the outer face ofthe bent over portion substantially flush with the portion of greaterheight, said part comprising a plate secured to and covering the outerface of the shell having its edges parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe shell bent around the sides of the shell to lie between successiveshells in the outer row, the shells Patented July 16, 1957 of one IQWbeing of the same cross-section in a plane References Cited in the fileof this patent transverse to said longitudinal axes of the shells asthose UNITED STATES PATENTS of the other row, the thickness of the bentedges of the 886 121 A 28 190 plate in the outer raw causing the shells,in the inner row 1 8092 7 lguere F 1 to be normally spaced slightlyapart so as to prevent the 5 83 1 $5 333? gg g 3 t h' l I I a 1 1 a. 1of m na be w n he sh lls 2,528,568 Wllhams f Nov. 7, 1950 2,689,450Stiegele Sept. 21, 1954 2,713,766 Saccone July 26, 1955

